Christmas with the Nook Color

Santa must have read my posting about the Nook Color because, sure enough, there was one waiting for me under the tree and marked from “Santa.” Since we were leaving the next day for a visit with my son and his family in Virginia, I was anxious to download some books for the trip. I “checked out” two books for me from the OverDrive subscription at our Library and then I shopped the Barnes and Noble site for something for my granddaughter. I finally settled on Kipling’s The Elephant’s Child; How the Elephant Got Its Trunk. This was one of the books that had the “Read to Me” feature and I was eager to see how my 2 1/2 year old grandchild would react to it. With e-reader in hand, we made the long drive to Fairfax.

I barely opened the Nook the first day since we arrived at dinner and then opened presents, but my husband and I got to babysit our granddaughter the next day. I casually turned on the Nook and opened the colorful children’s book. When I clicked the “Read to Me” icon, a pleasant, expressive male voice started reading the book out loud. Sarah, ever curious, came right over and stood by me as the story enfolded. After she saw me turn several pages by gently swiping the screen, she asked if she could touch it. I knew I had her hooked when she exclaimed that the crocodile “wasn’t nice” to grab the elephant’s nose. When we finished it the first time, she requested that I read it several times again, with her moving the pages all by herself. I was amazed at how well she was able to work the device. Over the next two days, I re-read that book to her at least three or four times a day. I also decided to purchase Go Dog Go, but she wasn’t as interested in that book.

As for me, I spent my evenings avidly reading my free book from OverDrive on the Nook – when I could pry it loose from my husband! He found the crossword puzzle game and was having his own fun. By the time we left for the return trip to Michigan, I was only 50 pages from the end. I generally get carsick if I read while the car is in motion, but I was thrilled to discover that I could happily read the Nook Color even in the mountains of Pennsylvania and not get dizzy. I was able to finish my book before getting to the Ohio state line. I now have five more books on my digital hold list in OverDrive.

Today, I went to Barnes and Noble and purchased the clear cover to protect the screen on the Nook. I had lots of small, sticky fingerprints all over the screen and I wanted to make sure this didn’t happen again. They were pretty depleted as far as covers went, so I ordered one online. If my Christmas experience with my gift from Santa is a hint of things to come, I have a feeling that I will be carrying my Nook Color with me on trips and everywhere I might have a few moments to read. Thanks, Santa !!

Battery life is only about 8 hours with wifi turned off, but the trade-off in superior quality is okay with me. I just plug the Nook in at night and it’s fully charged in the morning. I’ve also ordered a charger for my car, which will help on trips.